Freezer Meals // Miscellaneous

 Christine's Notebook

Ricotta Meatballs with The Crispy Topping

Ingredients

Units Scale

Ricotta Meatballs

• 2 lb. ground turkey (I used 93/7 ground turkey – ground chicken also works, as does just about any other type of ground meat that you like!)
• 1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup panko
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Crispy Topping & Extras

• 2 jar tomato sauce (like a marinara or pasta sauce – I like a lot of sauce so I typically use a 56–64 ounce jar)
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 4 teaspoon olive oil
• chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all meatball ingredients together.
2. Meatballs: Roll mixture into 20-24 small meatballs. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a shallow Dutch oven or oven-safe pan to prevent sticking. Put the meatballs in the pan.
3. Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes on a middle oven rack. Gently loosen them from the bottom of the pan with a spatula; they should have some nice browning.
4. Sauce: Add the tomato sauce directly to the pan with the meatballs and stir to get them all coated. 
5. Optional Topping: Mix the 1/4 cup panko, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the meatballs and sauce.
6. Final Bake: Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes to warm the sauce. Turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes to get the crispies nice and golden (just watch it so it doesn’t burn).
7. You’re Done! Get into this! SO good served with a green salad and garlic bread for dunking into the sauce!

Find it online: https://pinchofyum.com/ricotta-meatballs-with-the-crispy-topping

Short Rib Ragu Pasta

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb (454g) grape tomatoes

• 2.5 tablespoons (38g) vegetable oil 

• 1.5 lbs (681g) bone-in beef short ribs (about 3 short ribs, depending on size) 

• 1 lb (454g) beef chuck roast, cut into 1 inch chunks 

• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste 

• 1 large onion, very finely minced

• 3-4 large carrots, peeled and very finely minced

• 4 ribs celery, finely minced

• 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped 

• 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons (30g) harissa paste, optional 

• 2 tablespoons (30mL) balsamic vinegar, (plus more for finishing)

• 2 cups (473mL) red wine, preferably on the dryer side like a Beaudoux

• 2.5 cups (591mL) beef stock 

• 15 sprigs thyme

• 2 bay leaves 

• 1-2 lbs (454-908g) pappardelle, or fettuccine

• 1 cup (122g) Pecorino Romano, grated (plus more for finishing)

• 1.5 cups basil leaves, roughly torn

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).  Place your grape tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Then, using a kitchen torch, char your tomatoes until the skins peel back, the tomatoes have softened a bit and they’ve been lightly blackened. Alternatively, you can use your broiler set to high for about 3-5 minutes or until nicely charred. Using paper towels, grab a few tomatoes at a time and rub them together to remove the skins. Optionally, blend in a blender until as fine as possible. You can also leave them whole if you wish, they’ll break apart from the braise, I prefer to blend them for a more even consistency. 

2. Set a 7-8 quart heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium high heat then add your vegetable oil. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, add your meat in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pot, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until all sides are evenly browned. Repeat until all meat has been seared. Remove meat to a sheet tray and set to the side.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add more oil if necessary, and toss in your onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and sweat, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables have begun to soften, about 2 minutes, add in your tomato paste and harissa paste. Stir the mixture and caramelize until the color darkens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Crush the grape tomatoes with your hands and add to the pot. 

4. Increase the heat to high then add your red wine, beef stock, and balsamic vinegar. Once it comes to a boil, drop the heat to low and nestle in your seared meat (bone side down). Generally you want the liquid to cover up at least ¾ of the way up the meat once it’s all been added. Tie together the thyme and bay leaves using butcher’s twine and add to the pot. Once simmering, cover with a lid and place in the preheated oven for 3-3.5 hours or until the meat is fork tender.

5. Gently remove your meat to a medium sized mixing bowl. Remove the bone and gelatinous membrane from the short ribs. Discard your thyme and bay leaves. Using your hands shred the meat as finely as possible. Alternatively, if it is too hot, use a large metal spoon, pressing and twisting the meat, until you achieve a similar result. Once shredded, fold the meat back into your pot of sauce until thoroughly combined. If the sauce seems to dry, add more beef stock, about 2-3 tablespoons at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Fill a 4-6 quart pot with water and set over high heat until it comes to a boil. Salt your pasta water aggressively - it should taste like the ocean. Cook your pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, making sure to reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, and return the cooked pasta to its original pot. 

7. Add half of the ragu to the pasta pot and toss until well coated. Use half the sauce if you cooked 1 lb of pasta and the full amount if you cooked 2 lbs. Incorporate 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water at a time to help emulsify. Stir in your grated Pecorino Romano and basil leaves until everything is evenly distributed. Once thoroughly combined, plate the pasta and top with more Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve and enjoy.

8. https://www.joshuaweissman.com/post/short-rib-ragu-pasta-at-home-recipe

Seed & Sparrow

No Rise Pizza Crust: 1 1/2 cups water warm (not hot) 1 teaspoon sugar 2 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast 4 – 4 1/4 cups AP flour or Gluten-Free AP Flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin Pork Dumplings 1 package wonton wrappers(12 oz) 1 lb ground pork 1 thumb ginger 2 tsp minced garlic 4 scallion whites, sliced 2 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce 1/2 tsp salt Fill wrappers, fry on each side 1minute, add a splash of water and cover to steam for 4 minutes total Coconut Milk Ginger Jasmine Rice: 2 cups Jasmine Rice 1 14oz can full fat coconut milk 1.5 cups water 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger Bring to a simmer and cover for 6-8 minutes, stir once, cover and remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

https://jz-eats.com/chipotle-barbacoa/

Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa Beef

Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 6-8 chunks & fat trimmed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 chipotle peppers, from a can of chipotles in adobo
• 4 ounces diced green chiles
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 limes, juice
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3/4 cup chicken broth, beef broth works too!
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
• olive oil, for cooking

Instructions

• Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil and sear the beef for 3-4 minutes on each side.
• Place the beef in the slow cooker with the chipotle peppers, diced green chiles, diced onion, white wine vinegar, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, ground cloves, dried oregano, chicken broth, bay leaves, and smashed garlic cloves. Cook on low for 7-8 hours until the beef falls apart.
• When ready, transfer the beef to a serving bowl and shred the beef with two forks.

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 426mg | Potassium: 841mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 597IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 6mg

Thank You! https://jz-eats.com/chipotle-barbacoa/

Copycat Chipotle Chicken

Ingredients

• ▢2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• ▢2 Tbsp avocado oil plus more for cooking
• ▢⅓ cup red onion finely chopped
• ▢3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce + 1 Tbsp adobo sauce*
• ▢2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• ▢2 tsp paprika*
• ▢1 tsp ground cumin
• ▢1 tsp ground oregano
• ▢½ tsp sea salt
• ▢½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Add the ingredients for the marinade to a small food processor, food chopper, or small blender. Blend until a thick paste forms. If you don’t have a small apparatus for blending food, you can finely chop everything with a sharp knife and mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Transfer the raw chicken thighs and the chipotle chicken marinade to a large zip lock bag or a large bowl. Seal the bag (or cover the bowl with plastic wrap) and swish everything around until the chicken pieces are well-coated in marinade. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, ideally overnight.
• ​Bring the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and place it on the counter to allow it to come to room temperature about 15 to 20 minutes prior to cooking. This ensures the chicken cooks evenly so that it gets a nice sear on the outside while cooking the inside.
• Heat a large skillet (both a cast iron skillet or a large nonstick skillet work) over medium-high heat with 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil (or cooking oil of choice), or enough oil to coat the surface of the skillet. Note: a grill pan, an outdoor grill, or air fryer work too.
• Allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes until it becomes sizzling hot.
• Carefully transfer the marinated chicken thighs to the hot skillet and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until a golden-brown crust forms. Flip and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of each chicken thigh to verify the internal temperature. Chicken is safe to eat once it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F or higher. Chicken thighs generally taste best with the best texture after reaching 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chicken on a large cutting board and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken into slices, or chop it into small pieces.
• Serve chipotle chicken with your choice of side dishes or use it in burrito bowls, burritos, or salads. I love making chicken burrito bowls with cilantro lime rice, corn salsa, guacamole, homemade salsa, black beans, fajita veggies (sauteed onions and bell peppers) and grated cheese. I find these toppings closely mimic what you get at the Chipotle restaurant.

Notes

*For mild chicken, omit the chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and instead use ⅓ cup of red enchilada sauce. Store-bought canned enchilada sauce is mild unless the can specifies otherwise. 

**You can also use regular chili powder or ancho chili powder. I don’t recommend using chipotle chili powder unless you’re looking for very spicy chicken. For a mild version of the recipe, replace this ingredient with one teaspoon of sweet paprika.

Nutrition

Serving: 1thigh, Calories: 268kcal, Protein: 40g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 168mg, Sodium: 371mg

Course: Chicken Main Dishes

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken thigh recipes, chipotle mexican grill, copy cat chipotle chicken, copycat chipotle chicken, copycat restaurant recipes, easy chicken recipes

 

Author: Julia

https://www.theroastedroot.net/copycat-chipotle-chicken/

Chipotle Black Beans (Copycat)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons rice bran oil vegetable oil is fine too

1 yellow onion chopped

• ▢3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢29 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed well
• ▢2 cups water
• ▢1 bay leaf
• ▢1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• ▢1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• ▢1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

• Add the oil to a large dutch oven on medium heat along with the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally until translucent before adding in the garlic and cooking an additional 30 seconds.
• Add in the beans, water, bay leaf, salt, chili powder, cumin, black pepper and oregano and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until thickened.
• Remove the bay leaf, add in the lemon and lime juice and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 925mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg

Chipotle Black Beans (Copycat) https://dinnerthendessert.com/chipotle-black-beans-copycat/